Titanic What if ship had been Saved
by susan cousineau
Summary: This the story of Jack and Rose and how the California does answer the distress call.
1. Chapter 1

The date was April 13, 1912 and Jack Dawson and his friend Fabrizio had just won tickets to the greatest

ship ever built the Titanic. Jack was going home to the United States. He had been on his own since

his parents had died and had been touring Europe for the past few years. He was going home and with

him he was bringing his best friend and all of his experiences.

Jack was a charcoal artist and was very talented at what he did. He had managed to make his way all

over the continent of Europe doing various drawings. Someday his paintings would be worth a lot of

money, he thought. But for now he was young just twenty-one and free to do what he wanted when he

wanted and how he wanted. That was the way that he wanted to live his life as long as it was possible.

He wanted no ties just fun. Fabrizio and Jack had won the tickets to the Titanic in a game of poker. A

lucky game of poker indeed.

While standing on the deck of thie third class Jack had seen the most beautiful woman he had ever

seen in his entire life. She appeared to be a little younger than him with red curly hair. AHH but she

was a member of the first class and his friends had told him that he could forget all about her, he had

decided that he was going to get to know her one way or another.

But luck was with him that night he had seen her approaching the stern of the ship running and had

thought for a moment that she was going to jump. But she was so desperate the thought had come

to her but she was not destined to do so. She was a wonderful girl just sixteen who was being forced

to marry a man named Cal who she did not love. Her mother had lost all of their money and was

desperate for Rose to marry a rich man and Cal was the one that she had found. It mattered not to

her whether her daughter loved him, or that he physically abused her he was her meal ticket and as

such he was the perfect solution to their monetary problems.

The ship time had been an adventure, one that Jack would have never wanted to miss. He had fallen

in love with this lady Rose and he wanted to save her from the life she was being forced to take and

give her the freedom to live the life she wanted. He knew that the decision would have to be hers but

he also knew that she was young and strong and very capable of making the right decision. All he could

do was try to lead her in the right direction.

Captain Stanley Lord stood on the deck of the SS Californian and looked out into the night. The weather

was extremely cold and he worried that perhaps things would freeze that night. There were icebergs to

watch for also. He had seen several that day and had sent out many warnings and received many warnings

of their existence. The ship had encountered a large ice field that night and had stopped. He would find a

way around the ice in the morning.

The times were very tough on the wireless operator. Cyril Evans had been on duty for over twelve hours

and he finally got a break at eleven that evening. He went up on top and found the weather very cold,

but there was a brightly lit sky. He spoke to his friend Charles Groves up on deck. Groves was trying to

learn the new morse code and liked to listen in on the radio when he had the time. Cyril had no problem

with him listening in so at eleven thirty just a few minutes after Cyril went to bed Groves began to listen

to the wireless. He was not very good at it but he listened to the ship that was so close that he had to

turn the volume way down to stop the noise from blowing out his ear drums.

On the Titanic things between Rose and Jack had gotten to the point that Rose had decided to leave with

Jack in New York. She was going to stay with him and no longer was going to be engaged to Cal the cruel

man that her mother had in mind for her to marry. For the first time in Rose's live she felt as though she

was free and she and Jack enjoyed themselves. That night she made love to Jack and with that she gave

her life and soul to him.

Jack and Rose had just come up on deck when they were staggered by the ship hitting something. At first

neither one of them knew what happened, but then they saw the iceberg. It towered over the ship and

left ice all over the deck. As it went down the side of the ship they could hear the terrible scraping noise of

the ships hull as it ripped through the steel and gave the ship its mortal blow. Two men who were on the

deck behind them actually fell from the slippery deck that the ice made.

Rose and Jack looked on in horror as they watched the iceberg go by and knew that the ship was in danger. It

was a feeling that you get in your gut when you know that something is not right. The feeling that someone

is standing over you tapping you on the shoulder yelling danger. The two of them looked at each other and

watched as several passengers came up on the deck to see what had happened. The deck that had been quiet

and dark was now lit up and crowded with many onlookers. Although it was after eleven thirty at night there

had to be over one hundred people now up on deck.

Jack and Rose were headed back to Rose's cabin to warn her mother about what had just happened when they

saw Mr. Andrews talking to several of the officers on the ship. He was asking about the mail hold, and was being

told that it was already under water. Rose and Jack knew that this was very bad and headed out to warn Rose's

mother and Cal right away.

Cal was a terrible man and had made up his mind to make sure that Jack never arrived in New York a free man.

He had put the locket that he had given to Rose in Jacks pocket and then shown it to the ships purser. Jack

was taken down to the security room and with the danger on the ship, he was sent down there to die. Cal did

not mind, he would get rid of him anyways.

Roses mother and Cal had tried to get Rose into a lifeboat, but she refused. She found Jack and saved him from

his certain fate. The two of them were made for each other and Rose was sure that they would be as one once

they got off of the ship. She had made up her mind at this point that she was not going to leave Jack no matter

what happened.

As Rose and Jack made their way towards the top of the ship, they found utter chaos everywhere. People did

not know where to go what to do and the third class passengers were locked from getting to the lifeboats. It

was a terrible scene with whole families standing on a stairway begging the officers to let them go up to the

deck and find a lifeboat. None of the passengers in the third class had any idea that there was only enough

lifeboats for half the people on board and many of them did not speak English.

On the SS Californian Charles Groves was doing his best to understand what was being said on the wireless,

but he was not sure. It seemed as though they kept repeating the same thing over and over and that

there was a lot of traffic talking back to her. But he kept hearing the same sounds over and over and

thought that it might be a good idea for him to wake his friend Cyrtil.

Cyril was in no mood to be woken up. The last time that he had tried to speak to the wireless operator on

the Titanic he had been told to shut up. But at his friends insistence he listened for a minute to the talk

that was going on and knew that it was an emergency.

Charles was surprised to see his friend jump up and tell him to tell Second officer Herbert Stone that he

was receiving a distress call from the Titanic. They have struck an iceberg and are sinking. While Charles

ran up to tell the officer on duty what was going on, Cyril contacted the Titanic to get all of the information

that he could.

Herbert Stone had been watching the large ship that appeared to be about ten miles away. He had thought

that it had stopped because of the ice. He and another officer had tried to contact it with the lamp but

had not received any answer. When Charles came up on deck and told him what the wireless operator

had heard he went immediately down to the captain's cabin and told Captain Lord of the situation. Captain

Lord was a seasoned seaman and he ordered the ship to head right towards the sinking ship. His ship

was a slow ship and would take over an hour to get there but they would be there within the hour.

Meanwhile the wireless operator on the Titanic Jack Phillips was having a night to remember. He had one

ship that was on its way to them. It was the RMS Carpathia but they were three hours away and the ship

was going to sink in less than an hour. When the Californian answered he sent his partner Harold Bride

up to the bridge to let him know that a ship was but an hour away.

Now to get over two thousand people off of the ship was going to be a tough one. There were many doors

that led to gangways, but some of them were now under the water, and the tile of the ship was going to

be significant. The ships builder Andrews had said that the ship would only have about one hour before

she went down from the time that the Californian got there. The best that they could do was to get as many

into the lifeboats as possible and then try to ferry them back and forth to the Californian. It was going to

be a treacherous route with women children and many others but they had no choice it had to be done. At

this point the captain himself went out on the deck and made sure that he made it very clear that all of the

lifeboats were to leave full and both second and third class passengers were to be sent up on the deck to

get ready for the Californian when she came.

Captain Lord had just gotten the ship up and she was starting to make the turn towards the Titanic when he

gave the order for all the blankets and lanterns to be lit and that the ship had to be careful not to strike any

of the lifeboats that were sure to be out there in the dark. He had three gangways that could be used and

he knew that with over one thousand people that would need to get onto his ship it would have to be done

quickly.

The men of the ship worked very hard to get things ready for the survivors of the disaster. Now because of

all the noise and excitement, some of their passengers were starting to come up on deck. Captain Lord

told his men to get them back to their cabins. There is no time for people to gawk. They will hear all about

it in the morning.

As Captain Lord looked at the large ship as they approached it, he could see that she was listing to the side

and sinking quickly by the bow. There were people lined up on the deck and to his horror he could see that

all of the lifeboats had been launched. There must have been fifteen hundred people up on deck waiting for

him to save them with three gangplanks and the ship listing, there was little hope.

Meanwhile Captain Smith had everyone ready to board the ship and as it pulled along side, the two crews of

the ships worked together to get the walkways ready for the passengers. The rule was still in place that all

women and children were to go first and the officers had them lined up on deck. No one was allowed to bring

any belongings with them and the women were to carry all of the children that they could. They had to be

fast.

On the deck of the Californian the officers were ready to help the passengers as they hurried over to their

ship. Captain Lord estimated that they had only thirty minutes to get the people on his ship. That meant

that five hundred people would have to cross to his ship, on each gangway. That gave them about three

seconds a person. It had to be done, because if he did not succeed people were going to die.

As the passengers on the Titanic nearly ran across the gangplank, the ship listed even worse and one of the

exits had to be closed. They sent the two hundred people that were still trying to escape the sinking ship

over to another escape route.

Jack and Rose were standing there waiting for their turn and holding hands. This could very well be their

last day on Earth, and they wanted to die together if they had to. Cal had long since put himself in a lifeboat

and her mother had escaped long before in one of the first lifeboats to leave.

As the two lovers Rose and Jack walked to the Californian, they identified themselves as third class. With that

they were taken over to the stern part of the ship, into a large dining hall. Each one of them would have but

one blanket and no bed. They would have no change of clothes for the next few days either, but they were

alive.

Fabrizio had found Jack and Rose as he approached the dining room and knew that his partner and best

friend had found his mate. Rose was a wonderful woman and he was sure that Jack and her adventure

had just begun. He looked over at the hoard of people who were crowding into the dining room and sighed.

Rose Jack and Fabrizio went out on the deck to watch as the mighty ship gave a loud groan, and then with

all of the lights out on the ship and the explosions of the coal burners, she slipped into the sea at around two forty

that evening. It was Rose's hope that Cal and her mother would not find her and that she and Jack wouldbe free to live

their life out without interference, but that was not meant to be.

The next morning, Jack found Cal walking around in the third class looking for Rose. He came up to her and

did his best to force her to go with him to first class. "She has been injured, she does not know what she is

saying. She is my fiancée" he told the officers.

But he did not have his way that day. Rose and Jack got to make their own lives and their own decisions,

free from any bounds that an abusive parent or spouse could put on them.


	2. Chapter 2

As Rose and Jack and their friend Fabrizio left the safety of the Carpathia, they were confronted immediately by Cal's bodyguard. Oh he was a mean man who was paid well to make sure that his employer Cal got what he wanted when he wanted it. He laughed at the young man that called himself Jack Dawson. The kid was no match for Spicer Lovejoy.

As the three of them headed out Lovejoy went over to a police man and tried to have Farizop and Jack arrested. They were taking a lady of means away from her fiancée. Rose was in shock from the terrible tragedy of the Titanic. She would see a doctor and she would be all right.

But the police officer did not quite believe what he was being told and allowed the two men to leave without being arrested. The problem was that Rose was only seventeen and as a woman under the age of eighteen she was lawfully bound to obey her mother. Ruth had no intentions of allowing her daughter to get involved with such a man as Jack Dawson.

Ruth needed the money that Cal would bring into the family. Rose was her key to being among the rich and famous once more and she was going to stop at nothing to make sure that Rose and Cal got married. Ruth tried to talk to Rose, but she would not listen.

"I am not going to marry Cal, no matter what you say or do. If you force me to attend the wedding when the minister asks me if I do I will say no. He is abusive and mean. All you care about is the money that his family has. You care nothing about me." Rose shouted at her.

Cal had rented a private car on a train to take them to his home in Philadelphia. He was well aware of the financial ruins that Ruth and Rose were in and he was going to take advantage of it. He knew why Ruth wanted them to be married and he was going to get rid of her as soon as Rose and he were married. He did not need such a nuisance around. He was going to have Rose all to himself and she would learn to obey him.

Jack and his friend had escaped going to jail, but had no means to take a train to Philadelphia, so they had begun the slow long walk when their friend Molly Brown spotted them. Molly knew all about the trouble that Cal and Ruth were giving them. She offered to loan Jack the money so that he could go to the city and save his Rose.

As Fabrizio and Jack entered the large city, they were both nervous. Cal and his family were very wealthy influential people in this town and if they got caught trying to take Rose away they would surely either be put in jail or worse. They knew that Cal was quite capable of shooting them both. He had already done that once before.

In the meantime Rose had been planning her escape. All of the way to Philadelphia Cal had stayed next to her. She had no freedom and even when she went to the ladies room that nasty old Lovejoy would follow her. If not him or Cal her mother went with her. She was a prisoner. But finally as the train stopped in Philadelphia and Cal and Lovejoy got off the train to bring the baggage to the car Rose told her mother she had to go to the ladies room.

As Rose started to leave the car her mother started to follow her. "Oh mother am I not going to be even allowed the privacy of the bathroom?"

Ruth sat back down and told her to go ahead. With that Rose ran and ran and ran. She didn't know how far she had run but she knew that she had to get away. She would be a prisoner for the rest of her life. This is when she saw a young man with his wagon stopped in front of a house. She ran to him and begged him to take her to the next train station away from Philadelphia and the place that would soon be her prison.

The young man was stunned when he saw the young frightened girl begging him for a ride. He was done for the day and thought that it might be an adventure. He took the reins of his fine horses and the two of them took off for the ride of about five miles together. Rose kept looking over her shoulder to make sure that Cal was not coming, but she did not see him.

The city was large and she could have gone any direction. She might be able to get to the train station ahead of Cal and go to New York. 'I must find Jack' she told herself.

The young man watched the frightened woman and told her "My name is John Wilson. I may be poor and young, but you are safe with me. I will get you to the train station." he told her with a smile.

As they rode for the half an hour to the train station Rose was so jumpy that she made poor John nervous. The ride was uneventful and as they approached the train station Rose thought for just a moment that she was safe. But, as she went to get off the carriage Cal came around the corner with a sneer on his face.

But to Rose's surprise John Wilson was smarter than he looked and he had Cal and Lovejoy both tied up and put against one of the many barns in the area. He then put rags in their mouths so that they could not shout for help. They both knew that this would only buy them a short time, for someone would surely find them.

Rose was to go to New York for safety. Her friend John told her that he would go with her and he would be her bodyguard if she wanted.

At this point with the danger of both Cal and Lovejoy Rose was willing to try anything. She gladly accepted the help and the two of them boarded the train headed back to New York. Rose thought that if she could find Jack or his friend that everything would be all right. She sat back and tried to relax as the train left the station.

What Rose did not know was that Jack and his friend Fabrizio were getting off of the train at the same time. They had arrived in Philadelphia hoping to find and save Rose. As they pulled from the station Cal was just getting untied from the ropes and to Rose's shock she saw Fabrizio. Rose pulled the brake handle and when the train stopped she jumped off the train with her new friend John. As she called to Jack he turned to see her smiling face when the shot rang out. Jack went down and Rose could hear the sound of Cal's laughter.


	3. Chapter 3

Rose started towards Jack screaming, but John was there in a heartbeat. He had seen Cal and had gone around his back. He now had a gun aimed directly at Cal's head. But, Cal's ever faithful bodyguard was upon John like lightening. Spicer Lovejoy grabbed John's arm and handed the gun back to Cal. Cal held the gun up to John when another shot rang out. They turned around to see their friend Fabrizio holding a gun. He had shot Cal in the shoulder. Now Cal was down and Fabrizio had a gun pointed directly at Lovejoy's head. He meant business his best friend was lying there in the dirt.

As the crowd began to surround the group, Rose ran over to Jack. He was bleeding from a wound in his arm and she tried to put something on it to stop the bleeding. That is when a kind doctor from the train came over and tried to help her. They were able to get Jack into a buckboard and they headed to the hospital.

Cal was getting no sympathy from anyone and as Lovejoy tried to find a ride to the hospital for his man he offered twenty dollars. Finally a man that had a taxi nearby agreed to take Cal to the hospital for forty dollars. That was quite a sum of money for a cab ride that was worth ten cents. The cab driver and most of the crowd laughed as Cal struggled to get into the cab. He would be in no hurry and would arrive at the hospital some twenty minutes behind Jack and he was driving an automobile, while Jack had been brought to the hospital by a horse for free.

John stayed behind and followed Cal and his bodyguard to the hospital. He wanted no trouble for Rose and her friends Jack and Fabrizio. He had been hired by a lady by the name of Molly Brown and he had almost gotten her killed. He would call Mrs. Brown and let her know what was going on as soon as he got to the hospital. She might want to come down there. Little did he know, but Molly was already on her way down there. Something was wrong and she could feel it.

Molly had hired this man John to watch out for Rose and Jack. He was said to be one of the best in the business and had been a former Pinkerton man. She knew that when Jack and his friend confronted Cal there would be trouble and she had wanted to make sure that Jack was successful in getting Rose back home. ' How could Ruth be so cruel as to force her daughter to go with a man like Cal?' she wondered. With that she had boarded the next train to Philadelphia she was on her way.

As Jack was brought into the emergency room a doctor took right over. There had been a lot of damage to the arm, but he would operate on him right away and he should be all right. But Jack was going to need blood and a lot of it. There was a test that had been done that could tell what type of blood he had and he would need someone who could match the blood.

As the call went out for volunteers to find blood that would match Jack's people came in from all around the town. Cal and his family had been long known as bullies and the average Joe was more than willing to help the man that had stood up to the horrible man known as Caledon Hockley. Rose was surprised to find out that she was a good match and with three other donors the operation was ready to begin.

With the infusion of the blood Jack had woken up just long enough to see Rose and tell her not to worry. He was so pale she was very worried, but he was young and strong. Fabrizio and Rose held hands as they waited for word from the doctor.

In the meantime Cal had arrived with his bodyguard Spicer Lovejoy. He was demanding preferential treatment, because his money had donated a lot of money to that hospital. Everyone knew who he was and what he had done and he was surprised to find a police officer there. The police officer had been sent to make sure that Cal did not leave, for he was under arrest for the attempted murder of Jack Dawson and the kidnapping of his fiancée Rose.

For today Cal would receive no preferential treatment. His father came to the hospital and watched as the doctors prepared him for surgery . Cal was also going to need a blood transfusion and his father was calling people he knew frantically trying to get some donations of blood made. But people were reluctant, everyone knew what they of man Cal was and word was spreading fast about what he had done at the train station. Finally after many attempts there was enough blood for the operation to begin on his son.

Fabrizio had been questioned by the police and he and Rose had been told that they were not going to be able to leave town until the investigation was finished. After all Fabrizio had shot Cal and Rose had accused Cal of kidnap. This was a big story and with all of the money involved the police were going to have to question everyone and be careful to cross their t's and dot their i's . But the police were also aware that Cal and Lovejoy had been known to strong arm people. But because of his position and money they had never been able to pin anything on him. Now they had attempted murder and kidnapping. He was going to have a hard time wiggling out of these charges.

The operation took three hours, but when the doctor came out of the surgery he was smiling. He went over to Fabrizio and Rose and told them "Your young man was very lucky. He is going to be all right. I see no reason that his arm won't be back to normal within the next six weeks. He will stay here for a couple of weeks and we will watch for infection, but he should be all right."

Both Rose and Fabrizio thanked the doctor and took a deep breath. He was going to be all right. She looked over and saw Cal's father. He looked so much like his son, she knew who he was immediately. He was acting like his son also, demanding yelling and threatening everyone in the hospital. She could see where Cal had gotten his manners from.

Two hours later everyone was still waiting for Jack to get out of recovery when Rose's mother came running in. She had not known what had happened until a short time ago and had come right over to check on her daughter. For all the bad that Cal had done to her, Ruth thought that there might be still some hope for him and Rose but Rose made it very clear there and then that her and Cal were done.

Ruth was sure that her life was over. She had no money and no place to live and now her daughter was leaving with some man who was no better than a hobo on the street. But, who was she to talk? She also had been living off her husband's good name. She owed everybody, she could never go back to England. Everything in the house that had been of any value had been sold and she hadn't paid the help in months. Rose was her only hope. So she b it her tongue for the first time in her life and sat down with Rose and that awful Italian man Fabrizio.

As they watched the doctor came in and talked to Cal's father. Cal had sustained a bad wound to the arm and he could have problems with it for the rest of his life. There was a good center that he could be transferred to once he had healed. But Cal was going to be all right.

So for that night a tragedy had been averted. Everyone was going to be all right. It was then that she saw her friend Joh come walking into the waiting room and behind him was Jack and her friend Molly Brown. 'What is going on here? ' Rose thought to herself as he introduced John to her mother and friend Fabrizio.


	4. Chapter 4

John smiled at Rose and told her "Molly hired me to protect you and Jack. I am sorry that I underestimated Cal and Jack got shot, but he will be all right and you are safe. It is time for us all to go to a hotel and rest. Tomorrow we can go and see Jack and then talk to the police about what has happened.

"The police have already questioned me." Rose told him.

"There will be more questions I am sure of it. Cal's lawyers are going to do everything they can to make it look like it is your fault. That is why Molly has contacted a good lawyer here. But let's go to the hotel and rest before we worry about things." he told her with a reassuring smile.

Ruth had not decided what she wanted to do as of right now. She still held up a little hope that her daughter would come to her senses and marry the man who had all the money. She was just seventeen and had her whole life ahead of her. Jack was not the person that she wanted as a son in law if she had anything to say about it.

As they came to the hotel, Rose had barely any money and either did anyone else. Molly chimed in immediately and told them "The last thing that you all need to worry about is money. I have millions and when you get back on your feet you can pay me back. You can look on this as a loan if you want or a gift. The choice is yours." she told them all.

Rose was grateful very grateful, and she ran over to Molly and gave her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you so much Molly. I don't know how but I will pay you back someday. It is because of you that Jack will be all right and we will be together."

Ruth had all she could do to stand such a scene. Here she was in one of the nicest hotels in the city of Philadelphia and she had to put up with the loudmouth Molly Brown and Jack Dawson and his friends. She was expecting to see a mutt of some sort come running up with his tail wagging. This was not what she wanted. But for now, she could rest and take a hot bath.

When Rose had gotten off the Titanic she had only had the one dress. She had managed to get Cal to buy her another dress when they were in New York and she was now wearing it. But this was her third day in the same clothes and she was starting to think that she needed something different to wear. As she got ready for bed and hung up her clothes, she decided to hand wash some of her things. She had never done such a thing in her life. She had always had Trudy to do whatever she needed to have done. But this was a different life and she was going to have to get used to it.

The following morning Rose's clothes were still damp and they rubbed as she walked. She was very uncomfortable as she went down to get some breakfast. Molly and John and Fabrizio were already there and they stood up to greet Ruth and Rose. Molly took one look at the two ladies and knew that they needed some other clothes. She smiled at them and said. "We will go to the hospital and check on Jack and then when we get back to the hotel we should all be fitted with some new clothes. Most of my clothes, as I am sure with you were lost when the ship sank. The hotel has a good seamstress." she smiled.

Rose thought about the wonderful friend that she had met while on the ship and what a good friend she had turned out to be. Without Molly she would be a prisoner at Cal's estate and would probably be getting married very soon. She shuddered when she thought about it. "I just don't know how to thank you enough Molly. Someday you will be repaid I promise." she told her.

As they arrived at the hospital, Rose was taken into the ward where Jack was resting. He was very pale and weak, but he was awake and trying to smile. "That Cal can't hold me back or kill me Rose." he murmured.

Rose looked around the room and was surprised not to see Cal there. He had been operated on the same day as Jack. As a nurse came in Rose asked about Cal. She was not interested in him as a lover, but she was afraid of what he might still do to her.

"Master Cal is not doing that well right now. He has an infection in his wound and is in a private room." the nurse told her.

For just a moment she felt sorry for him and his family. As she left Jack's ward, she saw Cal's mother walking down the hall crying. She knew that Cal had always been somewhat mean to her. His mother had tried to be good to him, but he had only his own wants and did not care about anyone else's.

As the days went by Jack got stronger and was now up and about for a few minutes a day. He even had some of his energy back and was telling jokes. He was also drawing once again. He had been shot in the left arm and was right handed so in that way he had been very lucky.

Cal did not do as well, and the doctors were forced to amputate his arm at the elbow. It was his right arm and he was right handed. He would have the best therapy that money had to offer, but he was going to have trouble for the rest of his life.

One day as Rose left the ward where Jack was she saw Cal. He was pale and very weak, but still determined to rule her. "Once I am out of here, we will be together my Rose. Together like we were meant to be." he told her as he tried to grab her arm. Rose would not tell Jack what had happened because she wanted to now live in peace. Cal was never going to have her no matter what he thought.

As the day came when both Cal and Jack were ready to go home, Cal was surprised to find that he was headed to the local jail. His lawyers had done their best to keep him out, but Molly's lawyers had done their jobs and Cal was facing attempted murder and kidnapping charges.

As for all of the friends that Jack had made, they were now living in a small house on a tree lined street. Molly had found it cheaper and better for Jack when he got home. He would still need lots of rest.


	5. Chapter 5

Each and everyday Rose was called by Cal. He was begging her not to press charges against him. But she stood her ground and told him that she was working with the police and district attorney to make sure that he did not try to harm her again.

Then the offers came in, the money. Cal had always gotten away with doing whatever he wanted by paying the person off. He knew that Ruth was the weak link and he started contacting her. As long as Rose was not eighteen she would have to obey her mother. He offered a cool million dollars to make Rose drop the charges. Once the charges of kidnapping were dropped his lawyers said that they could handle the other charges.

After all the lawyers said that they would be able to convince any jury that Cal thought that he was protecting his fiancée from a man who had followed them all the way from New York to Philadelphia. Jack was a man of meager means and had his eyes on a woman of class, they would argue. It was at the Hockley Estate that Ruth and Cal's father made the agreement. She received a total of five hundred thousand dollars immediately and that was put in a bank account for her.

But for the rest Rose was going to have to be brought to the estate and marry Cal. Ruth knew that was going to be hard, but she was determined. Cal was not that bad a man and she needed the money. If things got too bad she and Rose would escape somehow.

Rose had no idea what her mother was up to. She was busy each and everyday helping Jack get his strength back. He was getting stronger everyday and Rose was proud of his progress. The arm was not one hundred percent but it was getting better each and everyday.

But the most amazing thing was their love. It was growing by leaps and bounds and as soon as Jack got back on his feet he was going to ask her to marry him. Jack had been offered a job as a gardener at Molly Brown's house and he was going to take it. The job gave him a place to live and a steady income. Molly had been their biggest supporter ever since they had all arrived in the United States.

Fabrizio now had a job at a local factory and brought money into the house every week. He was a hard worker and Jack was grateful to him. He was going to make up for all the things he had been given he promised himself.

Ruth arrived back at the house and knew that she was going to have to get Rose alone. Spicer Lovejoy was going to help get Rose to the Estate where Cal and his family lived. She came into the living room and took a seat. It was now almost two o'clock in the afternoon and she was going to have to act fast.

John, the man who had been hired by Molly to keep an eye on Jack and Rose had decided that day that he was going to follow Ruth. For some reason he had a bad feeling that she was up to no good. He had watched as the had gotten into the car and driven to the Hockley Estate. He had waited until she had come out and followed her to the bank. She was definitely up to no good.

But Ruth was the mother and the guardian of Rose and she had the right to make her do just about anything. What he needed was to get her to New Hampshire where she was considered old enough to be on he own. If he could get her there her mother would have no legal power over Rose.

When Ruth had returned to the house John acted as though he knew nothing of what had happened. He wanted to take care of Caledon Hockley and his right arm man Spicer Lovejoy for good. He was going to allow Cal to kidnap Rose, but when they arrived at the estate he and his men would be waiting. They would stop the kidnapping once and for all. He had talked to the policeman who had been handling the case and the district attorney. They would all be at the estate when they drove up this time. There would be no escaping the arm of the law this time.

Ruth told Rose that she needed to have some time away from the house and that she thought that Rose and her might enjoy a ride along the waterfront. Rose did not want to leave Jack, but to her surprise he encouraged her. "Go with your mother Rose, I will be fine. When you get back we can spend the evening together." Jack told her with a smile.

As Rose and her mother got into the car to leave for the ride that Rose thought that she was taking Cal and Lovejoy came out of the bushes and jumped into the car before Rose could move. Cal laughed and told her that she was now his that her mother had agreed to allow him to marry her. "There is nothing that you can do Rose you are a minor and your mother has agreed to the marriage." he laughed.

Rose does not know what got into her, but she had it. She turned so quickly that she caught Lovejoy completely by surprise and kicked him in the groin with all of her might as Lovejoy fell backwards she got the gun. In a moments time she had turned the page on the two men. They were now her prisoner and this time she was going to make sure that neither of them got out of prison for a long time.

John and the police came around the corner thinking that they were going to have to save Rose, but they were wrong. Rose was a very strong willed person and she had managed to take the gun away from Lovejoy and Cal and him were sitting in the backseat of the car trying to talk themselves out of trouble once again. "Your money is not what I want. I want my freedom." she told them.

As the police took both Lovejoy and Caledon Hockley to jail Rose turned around and glared at her mother. "This was all because you wanted the money. Well the money is yours but you have lost a daughter." and with that she stepped out of the car and walked into the house where Jack and all of her friends were waiting.

Ruth just sat out in the car and cried. After several minutes Ruth walked up to the house, but she found the door locked and no matter how many times she knocked no one was answering the door. So there she stood with a half a million dollars in the bank and no daughter or life. 'Was it really worth I?' she thought to herself. But even she knew the answer right then and there no it was not worth it.

Rose watched from the bedroom on the second floor as her mother walked away from her house. Someday her mother would learn that money was not everything. But today she had proved to her that money was everything to Ruth Bukater. As long as that was true they could never be close and Rose knew it as well as Ruth knew it.


	6. Chapter 6

Jack looked at Rose and could feel her pain. But, her mother had done her daughter wrong, very wrong. He could not understand how someone who was supposed to love you could hurt you so much. He came over to her and held her close. He just stood there with her in his arms while she cried.

Molly and Fabrizio sat downstairs waiting for Rose and Jack to come down. They knew that Rose was going to need comforting because of what Ruth had done. Ruth was a selfish woman who had put herself and her wants so far ahead of everyone else that she had now lost everything. They had watched as Ruth had left the house from the parlor and had actually felt sorry for the woman for just a second.

Jack and Rose came down the stairs about an hour later and neither one of them mentioned what had happened with Ruth. They went about making plans for what they were going to do next, now that they were free for the first time sine the sinking of the great ship.

Molly was in desperate need of help in New York, and could use a private secretary. Jack was one of the best groomsmen around and she wanted to hire the two of them to come to work for her. Molly knew that Jack and Rose would not stay with her forever, but this way they could save some money and have much of the freedom that they both so badly wanted and needed. She decided to approach the subject the next evening.

Dinner had been served and everyone had taken their seats to relax when Molly asked them all to move back to the Hudson Valley with her. She was more than willing to give them each a job and a place to live. At first they were very hesitant. The three of them had wanted to go to California, but Molly, who had stepped out of the room so they could speak to each other in private, was right. They were going to need some money and they owed her so much all ready. It was then that they all agreed to go with Molly to New York.

As the whole group Molly Rose Jack and Fabrizio embarked the train for the ride to New York, Rose thought of how different her life was now. She thought of her mother and wondered what she was up to, but she was on her way to a new life with her love Jack and their friends Fabrizio and Molly. Life was good to her.

Ruth had been devastated when Rose had refused to allow her to come into the house. But that was just the start of her problems. When she had gotten to the bank, Cal's father had removed all of the money from her account, and try as she did she had been unsuccessful in getting any of the money back. She found herself in the same trouble that she had been in when she was in London. She had bills piling up and no way to pay them.

As the desk clerk knocked on the door to approach Ruth about her bill, she cringed. The bill was now way over five hundred dollars and she was going to have to leave. She did not have ten dollars in her pocket. She took the bill with what little dignity she had left and made plans to leave without paying her bill.

As Ruth got into the cab so that she could go around the corner and get out without being seen by the desk clerk, she looked down and reflected on her life. She was in a real bind and had called all of her so called friends. No one was willing to take her in because of what had happened between her and Rose and Cal and family. She was going to be out on the street soon.

Ruth looked in the paper and found a job as a seamstress. The job was long and hard and hot oh so hot. The women were brash and she was laughed at whenever she tried to talk to them. They could tell that she had once been a woman with money and the women wanted nothing to do with her. Every evening she went home to the one room she could afford and spent the time alone. It was a terrible life, and she wanted to make amends with her daughter Rose.

The life on the Hudson was wonderful for the friends who had met on the ill fated ship. Rose had decided that she would write a novel, a novel of her experiences on the Titanic. She did not know whether or not it would sell, but she wrote it. Jack had agreed to do the illustrations and Molly was encouraging her. The story should be told and who better to write and illustrate it was a woman from first class and a man from third class. The cultural shock of the two groups would make for good reading.

The months had gone by and once more spring was in the air. It was almost the first anniversary of the sinking of the great ship and Rose and Jack's love had grown by leaps and bounds. He had gotten all of his strength back and was starting to feel his wings. He had been at Molly's house long enough. He wanted to go to California like he had planned many moths ago while he had been a young naïve man aboard the greatest ship on Earth.

Fabrizio was getting tired also. He enjoyed himself there, as he did wherever he went. He was the type of man who could be happy no matter where he was. But live on the estate had been quite boring. He enjoyed the company of many people not a few and even though he was with the best friends he had ever had he was lonely sometimes.

Rose was putting the finishing touches on her novel, and had an appointment the following Wednesday to meet with a publishing friend of Molly's. She was extremely grateful to Molly for what she had done for her and her friends. She didn't know where she would have been if it hadn't been for Molly.

Cal had been sent to jail and would be out within the next six months and Rose wanted to be gone from the east coast. She had heard nothing from him, but had a feeling that he was watching her and waiting. It was the worst feeling in the world worrying all of the time. She also did not want to put her friend Molly in danger.

Jack came into his room and smiled. He finally had saved the money up to buy Rose an engagement ring. He had wanted to marry her since they had met, but he wanted everything to be done right. The ring was not an expensive ring but it was nice and respectable.

As Jack went down the hallway Rose came out of her room. The two met and kissed each other tenderly. In his pocket he could feel the ring. As they went out to the swing where they had spent so many long hours, he got down on his knees and asked Rose to be his wife.

Rose could not believe it. She had begun to think that he was never going to pop the question. He had hinted many times, but had never popped the question. It had now been almost a year and she was ready. The last year had taught her many things. She had learned that love was something that would find you no matter who you were and that it was a wonderful feeling. She loved Jack with all her heart and said "yes" to his proposal.

When the two of them arrived back at the house, there was a huge celebration. Everyone was thrilled friends and co workers. Rose and Jack were very popular among both. Molly wanted to know what had taken him so long. Rose wore her ring with pride and showed it to the mailman as she sent out her manuscript of her novel 'The Titanic as Seen through the eyes of a First Class Lady.'


	7. Chapter 7

It had been a long day for Bill Miller whose job it was to screen all new novels that arrived at his publishing company. The company was getting well known and it seemed that everyone thought that they were writing a novel that would make the best seller list.

Some of the writing was so poor that the best thing that the author could do with their manuscript was to forget that they had ever written a novel. Some needed work and might someday make it to his publisher's desk. But then there was the one novel, the one that could become a best seller.

The moment he had opened the envelope containing the manuscript he had been intrigued with the story. It had been over a year since the Titanic had sank and the story had not been told through the eyes of any survivors to his knowledge.

This story was about a young girl seventeen years old who was coming to the United States to be married. Her fiancée and her were not in love she was being forced to marry him. He was a man of wealthy means and had the power to force her to do anything.

As he read more and more of the story he became very confident that this was the type of novel that he and the publishing company was willing to print. There were a few minor things that would need to be changed but for the most part he thought that the book could be published as written.

He went to Harry Marks office and knocked informing him of the novel. His manager did not seem quite as convinced as he was that the novel would make a number one sellers list, but he agreed to read it. As he read the novel, he became very interested. Bill had been right. This could be a number one seller and he needed to meet this young girl Rose.

Mr. Marx placed a call to the home of Rose and made an appointment to meet with her the following Wednesday. As Rose hung up the phone she smiled at Jack and Molly who had heard the phone ring. "That was the publisher, he is interested in publishing my book and he would like to come out here on Wednesday to meet with me. I can't believe it." she told them with much excitement in her voice.

Jack grabbed Rose and swung her around. "This is great Rose. Did he mention the money or anything?" he asked her with much excitement in his voice.

"No. He did not mention anything, but I suppose the time for negotiation will be next Wednesday." she told him and Molly.

"Well that sounds fine to me Rose. We will see what happens when Mr. Marx comes here." she told Rose with a hug and a big smile.

The next few days went slow for Rose. She had the excitement of the engagement and the novel to think of. She could not wait for Wednesday and the meeting that she was going to have with Mr. Marx.

At three that Wednesday, almost exactly on time a car came into the driveway. A middle aged man with a handlebar mustache came up the walkway and rang the bell. Rose waited for the maid to answer the door and she took one last look at herself in the mirror. Jack sat right beside her and stood up as the man walked into the room.

He could see that the young woman lived in a very well to do neighborhood and mistakenly thought that she did not need the money. Sometimes that made the bargaining better, sometimes not. He told her of how he and his staff had read the manuscript and had been impressed with the novel. The Titanic is still big news, and a novel telling the first hand story of so many people should be interesting to the public. The fact that you cover people from the first and second and third class is good. Most of the people on board the Titanic only knew one class or the other.

The story is well written and I am prepared to pay you three cents for every copy that you sell. This will be a dime novel and with any luck should sell many copies. If this novel sells we would like to offer you the chance to write further novels with more accounts of what happened that night and on the maiden voyage that never made it to it's destination.

Rose smiled, this could make her quite a bit of money. Sure if she sold only one thousand copies she would make thirty dollars, but any money that she made would be a help to their situation. It would get them closer to paying off the debt to Molly, and help with the fund for them to head to California.

Rose looked up at the man and asked him "How many novels do you think this book should sell?"

Mr. Marx smiled at the young lady and told her "If this book is as popular as I think it is going to be you could make over three thousand dollars. If this novel makes that much money, there will be more money coming in as you write more novels. But, let's wait and see. Right now I am prepared to give you a check for thirty dollars."

Jack spoke up then and told him "We would like to have our lawyer look at the contract. Once he has finished approving it, we will make the trip into the city and sign all the necessary documents."

Mr. Marx smiled and told him "That will be wise. I will hold the check until you get back to me. Thank you for your time." and with that he went and got into his car.

Rose called the attorney that Molly used and he agreed to take a look at the papers for her. She called a courier and the man picked the papers that next morning. It seemed like the lawyers were taking forever, but Monday afternoon Rose heard from them and said that everything was all right. It was a good agreement and good luck with the sales.

As Jack and Rose took the train into the city, Rose found herself very nervous. She had never done anything like this and she was glad that Jack had gone with her. The two of them entered the large office building and were let right into see Mr. Marx. They signed the papers and shook hands. Rose's book was going to be hitting the shelves within the next month and she would get one of the first copies.

As the two of them left to head back to Molly's they laughed. "Who would have known that surviving such a disaster could make you some good money." Jack told Rose as they headed back to Molly's house.

That evening they gave Molly the money. They stilled owed her a lot but it was a start. Molly was proud of her two friends and was glad that something was finally working in their favor.


	8. Chapter 8

Fabrizio had been out in California for almost six months when he went by a bookstore. There in the front window was his friend's Rose's book. He went in and talked to the clerk. The book was one of the most popular books of the day. Someday they might even make a movie about it, he thought.

As Fabrizio took a seat and started to read the novel, it brought back the memories of that time. He missed his friends and hoped that they would soon be out to California. He had a small house and had plenty of room for them to stay.

But he had met a girl. Her name was Annette. She was from Italy herself and she was the apple of his eye. Everyday he had to come up with an excuse to stop by her store where she worked. That was why he had gone by the store that was selling Rose's novel.

Annette's parents owned a small grocery store near his home and Fabrizio loved to stop there. He had a good job working at a local factory, and her parents approved of him. Someday she was going to be his wife. Each evening they would go for walks along the water and he had even kissed her once.

Annette was hung up on Fabrizio all right. He was her last thought at night and first thought in the morning. He was fun and always had a smile on his face. When he had kissed her, she had known that he was going to be a part of her life forever.

As the two of them got closer, Fabrizio wanted to hear from Jack so he sent him a letter. This one letter he told him about his new girl Annette and how he had seen Rose's book.

When Jack saw the letter from Fabrizio his urge to leave for the vast unknown was calling to him once again. He thought of his Rose and the fact that they now were engaged. He knew that before they moved they should be married. After they were married, that is when they would move to California. Yes, that was a good idea.

Molly had been working with Rose with the plans for her wedding. Rose had a good steady income coming in from her book and had paid Molly back all the money that she owed her. Now, Jack and Rose could relax and make plans for their future. But, for now they were planning her wedding.

The wedding was scheduled for three weeks from Saturday. Jack felt the pain of Rose not knowing where her mother was, but she would not let him go and find her. She was not ready to speak to her mother, not yet. Her mother was probably someplace enjoying her high society and Rose wanted nothing to do with it. Cal and her mother had nearly destroyed her life just because of the want of money. Rose wanted a free life, one with Jack.

Ruth was sitting in her parlor when one of her maids came in with a copy of Rose's book. She had found the book on the shelf at one of the local bookstores. Ruth's hands started to shake as she read the book. Rose had been kind in her description of her, but she could not understand why she was made to sound so selfish.

Once again Ruth picked up the phone to call her daughter, but once again she decided against it. Rose had not answered the door that night for her and she knew that it was too soon.

As the day came closer to the wedding Jack went to town to get his tuxedo and Rose finished her gown. The house was ready for the wedding and reception. There were going to be about forty guests as Rose and Jack had made many friends since they had come to live at Mollys.

But it was Thursday and the wedding was in just two days and Molly had a big surprise for them. Jack was getting ready to clean the leaves off the driveway when he saw the car coming. He watched as the car stopped at the front door and then saw who got out. It was his friend Fabrizio. That was his and Rose's wedding gift Molly had been to bring Fabrizio to her home for the wedding.

The two men embraced and shook hands. It was the best present that Jack could have gotten. His best friend was going to be at the wedding. As the two men walked up to the house, they were greeted by Rose. The three of them were friends once again together as they had meant to be.

That night there was a big celebration and as they got ready for the wedding they made future plans. Jack and Rose were now going to go on their honeymoon and then head out to California. Jack would get a job doing some art work and Rose would continue to get her checks for her book. Everyone would be all right.

Rose went to her room and took out the locket that Cal had given her. She had kept it hidden all this time. She actually was a millionaire. She laughed to herself as the thought of her selfish mother and how she could have been on of the richest women in America if she had not been so selfish. The locket was worth a lot of money and she knew it.

Several times Rose had thought of finding her mother. But when Molly had told her where her mother was Rose had stopped short of giving her a call. She still loved her mother, but she could not trust her. She knew that her mother had once more gotten hold of money, and would stop at nothing to get more.

Molly had found Ruth through her private investigator. The lady was living in a semi modest home, but had managed to hire one maid. She had not changed, she was still the self centered person that she had always been. Molly felt sorry for Rose but , she knew that what was going on between the mother and daughter was none of her business. Rose would see her mother when and if she ever wanted to.

The wedding was beautiful and the weather was gorgeous. Rose and Jack made a wonderful couple and as the party wound down they headed to a trip to the lake. They would be gone for a week, and then they were going to head for California to start their new life.


	9. Chapter 9

Being in love and on your honeymoon is one of the best things that a young couple can enjoy. Jack and Rose were now officially Jack and Rose Dawson. They had survived the Titanic and a kidnapping. They had a good life now, and were on their way to starting a new life.

They had decided to go to the Green mountains of Vermont for their trip. It was a short trip even in this day of just three hours and as they climbed the mountain Rose watched all the scenery. As they came towards he top of one large hill, Jack stopped.

He saw a group of people standing near the side of the road looking down into the valley. The road had been very winding and he pulled over as far as he could. That is where he approached the people and asked if they would be interested in him doing their portrait.

A young girl gladly accepted and Jack did a portrait with the surrounding scenery. His charcoal drawings were getting even better. The lady was thrilled with the drawing and soon Jack had a crowd of people standing around waiting to have him draw their picture.

Rose watched with deep interest and pride as Jack did twelve drawings that day. She knew that no matter where he went he could make money. His talent was wonderful and as the crowd left she turned to get into the car with him.

But Jack had other plans, he took her into his arms and held her tight. The view was simply breathtaking and he asked Rose to stand there. He did a drawing of her for their memories then. With the view of the setting sun, her picture was without a doubt the best.

Now it was getting late and they needed to find a place to sleep. As they drove into the next town they found a good inn and pulled up. Automobiles were becoming more popular, but Jack and Rose were using Molly's car and the car drew a lot of attention. As Rose and Jack got out of the car, a man came right over and started asking several questions about the car. Jack was more than happy to talk to another man about the car and the two of them were still chatting as they all went into the inn.

The room where Jack and Rose would spend their first night together as man and wife was small but clean. It had a bath just two doors down. As they had approached the desk, they had seen the restaurant and could smell the food that smelled delicious. They were both hungry and decided to go downstairs to get a bite to eat.

Rose and Jack enjoyed a delicious meal and then made their way up to their room. There Rose had bought a white negligee and came out of the dressing room looking like a queen. Jack fell into her arms and the two of them became as man and wife that night.

The next day Rose and Jack decided to follow the same route and headed into the town of Bennington. The city was a quiet little Vermont town and they found the people friendly. Once again they enjoyed themselves. There was to be a celebration that night and they decided to attend.

Jack spent much of the day doing more of his drawings and the amount of people who wanted to use his services were immense . By the time it was time for them to go to their room in the local inn, Jack had done over fifteen drawings. He had been unable to keep up with the amount of people who wanted his pictures and he was having a great time.

Rose had spent the day enjoying the scenes and had done some shopping. As the two of them got ready for dinner, they had time to spend some time as a couple together alone. Afterward they got dressed for dinner and headed down to another restaurant. This restaurant was a popular family restaurant and the two of them had a great time.

Word had gotten around about Jack's drawings and a few people asked for Jack to do some more that evening. He was glad to have such a chance and he started to write down appointments. Rose smiled with pride once more. When they got to California they would do well.

The celebration that night was a lot of fun for the two lovers. There were many vendors and music. Also at the end there were fireworks. The day ended with Jack and Rose standing arm in arm watching the fireworks which were absolutely marvelous.

As the night wound down they headed back to the inn. They both made the decision to leave in the morning. They only had a weeks honeymoon and this was the third day already and they had barely gone forty miles up the state.

The ride was rough the next day and twice Jack had to get out of the car and do some minor repairs. Rose was glad that Jack knew how to repair the car . By the end of the day they had just gone some twenty miles. As they pulled into a small in that they found they were impressed.

The inn was an old stagecoach stop and had not been modernized, as the other hotels had. There was no electricity or running water at this inn. But the people were very friendly and Rose and Jack were treated to a truly home cooked meal. It was here that Jack got to some of his better drawings and Rose got to truly relax and truly enjoy the scenery.

Rose and Jack sat on the front porch and watched as people came and went. They met several local people and several people who were like them on a vacation of some sort. Each day they walked the woods and got to feel very much at home. This would be a good place to live someday, they had both agreed.

But the last day was here and they needed to head back home. The ride would take them most of the day. This ride was an easier ride for the automobile, as this time they were climbing down the large mountain. But Rose still needed to get out once in a while and stretch her legs. Jack found himself tired also.

Molly's mansion was a good sight to see, a great sight really. As they came up the driveway, they were met by their friend Fabrizio and Molly. They went in to get freshened up and take a long needed rest.


	10. Chapter 10

There were no words to thank Molly for what she had done for Jack and Rose. If it had not been for her their life would have been very different. She had saved them from the horrors of a life with Cal. But, it was time for them to leave for another life.

Molly was in the parlor when Jack and Rose told her that they were going to be leaving with their friend Fabrizio. Molly felt as though she was losing two of her children, but she knew that they were right. Jack and Rose were now adults and they had the right to make their own way in life. It was with great sadness that she watched as they left for a life together without her.

Jack and Fabriio had set up a strong horse and buggy, with a top to protect themselves from any bad weather. It was much like a covered wagon from times that had gone by, but not exactly. The roads were now well traveled and the covering was nothing but a tent. The ride would be long but they had no place to go in a hurry. California was weeks away and it would wait. They wanted to see the country.

Traveling with a horse and buggy was a slow process, for the horses should not be pushed. There were three horses that they took with them. Two would pull the buggy and one would simply walk alongside resting. The ride was going to take over a month.

Fabrizio sat next to his best friend Jack and could not wait for the adventure. He missed the times when Jack and he had walked together sometimes days in a row. They had slept wherever they laid their head and done what they wanted when they wanted. But they had Rose with them now and they would have to take more care. Rose was an adventurous woman, but she probably wouldn't want to sleep under a bridge too often.

The days were long and sometimes they would take turns getting out and walking. Rose could handle the horses very well, and when Jack and Fabrizio got out of the buggy it lightened the load on the horses. Jack had twenty-five dollars on him and his book for drawings. He had never been so rich. As the three of them rode along the dirt roads of the United States they stopped from time to time.

Jack was a very gifted man and everywhere that they went he did some drawings. They were able to sell them and were now starting to have a nice little nest egg. Rose thought to herself, about the necklace. It was worth so much money and she and Jack were so wealthy.

Each and everyday Rose and Jack's love grew. They held each other and enjoyed every minute of the trip. Rose was so glad that they had taken the buggy instead of a car. An automobile was noisy and drew so much attention when it came into town. Besides that the darn thing was always breaking down, and it costs so much money to keep it up. The horses were fed water and grass from the side of the road.

Whenever they stopped for a good nights sleep at the inn they put the horses into a stables. That way the horses were well rested for the next day. The west was getting larger and larger everyday and was far from the west that Rose had heard about when she had been in England. It was true that there was a lot of open spaces as they rode for hours without seeing anyone, but there was always the railroad trains going by and houses were spring up everywhere.

The people were friendly for the most part and Rose got to see the great Mississippi River for the first time. It was dirty, that's all she noticed. The riverboat was a sight to see and Jack drew a picture of it. He kept a picture for himself and sold two drawings for fifty cents a piece. It had been a good day. That night the three friends celebrated with a large dinner and a nice room at a hotel overlooking the river.

Each of them laid back on the front porch and watched the people of the town as they went about their business. It was a quiet time and the boats on the river seemed to almost stand still as it went down the river. 'Someday I am going to take a ride on riverboat' Jack thought to himself.

As they came to the bridge to cross over the great Mississippi Rose took a picture with her new brownie camera. It was amazing that this little camera that didn't weight more than a few ounces could take such good pictures. It was so easy to handle also. All she needed was some film. She rolled it through some rollers and the number one would appear and the camera was ready. She just had to make sure that she rolled the film forward or she would get what they called a double exposure. She had done that accidentally once or twice.

Each day they got closer and closer to California. Because they were headed to Las Angeles they elected to go the southern route. The rocky mountains were very high and very hard on the horses. The horses were already tired and Jack did not want to push them anymore than needed.

As the group of friends arrived in LA they looked down at the city. Fabrizio showed them the way to his home. As they pulled up in front Rose looked at the apartment building. It was a large building but it had six apartments in it. Fabrizio lived in the back on the second floor. He had a kitchen and bedroom, with a small living room. Jack and Rose would sleep in the bedroom and Fabrizio would stay on the couch in the living room. The bath was just down the hall , but it had to be shared with three other apartments, so now there would be twelve people sharing one bath.

But Rose smiled as Fabrizio showed them the apartment and they were off to a new life. She was going to make it big here in California she knew it. Jack was going to become a famous artist also.


	11. Chapter 11

The three friends were now in California. This was to be their home for a while at least. The opportunities in the community were multiple and Jack and Rose were going to make the most of it.

Jack got a job working with Fabrizio and Rose stayed home. She was trying to sell her novel to a movie producer. But, it seemed that the disaster had been too recent. This was getting to be the gay period in the American life and the movies wanted happy themes.

Annette and Rose were becoming good friends and Rose was getting used to life there in LA. She was at one of the many theaters in town when a producer asked if she would be interested in doing a screen test. Rose tried her best to not show her excitement and agreed to the screen test.

The test went well and Rose got her first part in a short film. There would be no talking, so she had to learn to use her hands and expressions to convey what her thoughts were.

As Rose got to the studio she was amazed at the lights and the make up that she had to wear. If someone saw her on the street they would have thought her a clown. But, when the movie was being filmed under such bright lights this type of make up was necessary.

That afternoon when Rose finally got home, she could not wait to tell Jack all about her day. Jack listened intently to Rose and the story of the filming. The filming was going to take about three weeks and she was going to be paid twenty-five dollars. With this money Jack and Rose could get their own place.

Fabrizio and Annette were fun loving and laughed and listened to Rose intently. With the check from Jack's work and the check from the movie company, they told Fabrizio's neighbor that they were interested in renting the neighbors available apartment.

John Simmons was a sensible man, and he knew where Jack worked. Rose did have enough money to put down the rent on the apartment that they had and he accepted them as tenants. Rose opened the door to the sparsely furnished apartment and smiled.

The apartment had two large rooms with a fully usable kitchen. The kitchen was brand new and had hot and cold water and an ice box. The apartment was expensive, but they could afford it. The rent was 1.00 a week and it would have plenty of room for a baby that Rose wanted so badly.

But, Fabrizio and Annette were ready to take the big step. They had been on one of their many walks on the beach when he had gotten down on his hands and knees and asked her for his hand. Annette had been thrilled and as they ran to the house to tell their friends their life began together.

Jack was asked to be Fabrizio's best man and Rose was asked to be the maid of honor. They had the wedding in the church just down the street, and although, the wedding was not large it was beautiful and Annette and Fabrizio went off to a honeymoon in southern California.

Authors note:

This was just the beginning of a new life for the four friends. Rose would still have the heart of the ocean, and would keep it for many years. The four friends will continue to have many adventures and Rose will become a well known author and actress. Jack will continue with his drawings. Life will be good and continued.


End file.
